Deserter or Refugee?

This is an easy decision for me. I too believe that the war in Iraq is unjust. We have no business being there. And don’t go saying that I don’t support the troops by saying that. I do support our troops. I just don’t support our President for being a moron and dropping the ball on this.

If memory serves me, we went to Afghanistan to capture Osama bin Laden. We didn’t. We let him slip away from us. We got bogged down in Iraq “fighting terror” and now we are going to be there for a very long time. Our military resources are being depleted, fewer men are enlisting, morale in the military (and in our society) is extremely low, and our costs for this war are out of control.

Thank you very much Mr. President! You are an idiot.

I don’t blame this man one bit for not going to Iraq. I agree 100% with his assessment of this war. I’ve also talked with people at work concerning this war. A few have boys who are around the age of 15. They tell me what it is like for them, and what their fears are. Some become overwhelmed with emotion as they talk about the possibility of losing their son in this war.

I tell them, “It would be easy for me to decide what to do. I’d be looking at leaving this country with my son.” Don’t get me wrong. If we were being attacked or if we were really fighting an enemy that threatened our very existence, I’d be the first to take up arms. This is not the case with this war. It is 100% political with this President, and if you think he gives a rats ass about your son, I have an ocean front property to sell you in Arizona.

TORONTO -- An American war dodger who fled the U.S. military because he believed the invasion of Iraq was criminal has lost his bid for refugee status in Canada in a case closely watched on both sides of the border.

In a written ruling released Thursday, the Immigration and Refugee Board said Jeremy Hinzman had not made a convincing argument that he faced persecution or cruel and unusual punishment in the United States. [...]

During his three-day refugee hearing in December, he said any violent acts he would have committed had he gone to Iraq would have amounted to an atrocity because the war itself was illegal. [...]

His case was bolstered by a former United States marine, who said trigger-happy American soldiers in Iraq routinely killed unarmed women and children, and murdered other Iraqis, in violation of international law.

Adjudicator Brian Goodman had previously ruled that the soldier’s view of the legality of the war on Iraq could not be used to support his refugee claim.

As a deserter, Hinzman faces court martial if he returns to the United States and a potential five-year jail term. (source)

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